Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2020 (1)

KONBINI COOL

WalkthroughanyJapanesecityscapeand

you’llsee7-Eleven,LawsonandFamilyMart

outletsbrighteningstreetcornerswiththeir

neon-litshopfronts.Theconveniencestore

• orkonbini– isn’tjusta grab-and-gospot
  forlocals,it’salsoa hugeinspirationto
  chefsaroundtheworld.DavidChang
  openedPeachMart(pictured)inNewYork’s
  HudsonYardsasa tribute;locally,Adelaide
  hasMorningsKonbini,andSydney’sDopa
  ByDevonofferssandwichesanddesserts
  thatriffonthesnacksfoundinTokyo’s24/
  shopfronts.Sowhydochefslovekonbini?
  “Therearefreshsandwichesdelivered
  twicea day;puddingsandpastrieswith
  high-gradevanillabeansinthecustard;
  thefriedchicken– it’salwaysfreshand
  consistent– andthentherearekatsu
  sandwichesthatwillputmostJapanese
  restaurantsabroadtoshame,”says
  DopaByDevonchefZacharayTan.“It’s
  conveniencefoodturnedrightup,”says
  MontyKoludrovic,whoaddeda konbini-
  styleeggsandwichcalledtheTokyo
  7/11toTheDolphin’smenuwhenhe
  was executive chef at the Sydney pub.

“TheconveniencestoresinJapanareamazinginthesamewaythevending

machinesareamazing,”saysKoludrovic.“Wehaveconveniencestores,wehave

vendingmachines– butnotlikethis.”Konbinisandwichesareperfect-looking

andfluffy,thestoreshavemachinesthatmakepotnoodles,andthere’s“agreat

arrayofpacketsnacks,enoughtomakeWonkawonder”.TheKitKatflavours

alone(yuzu,matcha,cherry-blossomsake)areproofofthis.It’sa sensibility

thatAdelaide’sMorningsKonbinitapsinto.Itsstorefrontlookslikea Tokyo

kioskanditsmenuincludesJapanese-stylesandwichesandversionsofonigiri

• theseaweed-wrappedriceballsfoundon7-Elevenshelves.InJapan,onigiri
  areingeniouslypackagedsothatthenorisheetsstaycrispwhenyouopen
  them,despitethehourstheyspendinfridges.
  “It’ssomethingthatsparksa foodlover’screativityandimagination– [we’re]
  tryingtore-enacttheirconvenienceexperiencesbackintheirhomecountry,”
  saysownerJasonBarber.Buthealsonailsthekeyreasonthese stores have
  worldwide appeal: they simply offer “a very fun way to eat”.

20 GOURMET TRAVELLER

WORDS

YVONNE

C

LAM

(BACK

TO

SCHOOL).

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW BEZEK (PEACH MART).